Nut and pipe wrench



April 3, 1951 J. w. OLIVER NUT AND PIPE WRENCH Filed Feb. 28, 1949 R Emm L E O V E W H P E S O l D l ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE NUT AND PIPE WRENCH Joseph Wade Oliver, Ferndale,Mich.

Application February 28, 1949, Serial No. 78,810

2 Claims. (CI. 81-78) The invention relates to wrenches and has for itsobject the obtaining of a construction which is readily engageable withwork of a variety of contours of different dimensions.

To this end the invention consists, first, in the construction in whicha pair of separate handle members are provided with intermeshing toothedjaw portions and are connected to each other by a series of pivotalclamping links.

The invention further consists in the construction in which the jawseach have an arcuate toothed portion and an extension of the teethbeyond said arcuate portion towards the opposite end of the handle,thereby permitting of adjusting the point of engagement of the one jawwith the other.

The invention further consists in other specific features of theconstruction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings: a

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the wrench;

Fig. 2 is an endelevation thereof;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views showing the wrench in engagementwith work respectively of diiferent contours and dimensions.

As ilustrated A and B are handle members, each having at one end agenerally arcuate toothed, or serrated, jaw C and an outwardly extendingear portion D. E, F and G are links arranged in series being pivotallyconnected to each other at H and H and to the ear D of the members A andB at H and H The length of the links is such that when the handles A andB are together and opposite each other with the jaws C in intermeshingrelation, the series of links will form an outward curve as shown inFig. 1. Preferably the pivots of the links are so positioned in relationto each other and the centers of the arcuate portion C as to form ineffect a hexagon with sides of equal length. Thus the space between thecenters C, C of the portion C form one side of the hexagon and the spacebetween C' H H H, H H, H C form the other sides. However, this specificarrangement and proportioning is not essential to the invention. Theears D are less in thickness than the handles A and B and are centrallyarranged with respect thereto to form recesses on opposite sidesthereof. The links E and G are bifurcated to embrace the ears D and tolie in the recess D and the link F is of the thickness of the ears D tobe embraced by the bifurcated links E and G. The links E and G are alsotoothed, or serrated, on their inner sides as indicated at E and Ghaving arcuate end portions and concave portions intermediate the same.The teeth on the arcuate jaws and their extensions are formed in partlike gear teeth for intermeshing engagement with each other as indicatedat I, these extending around a portion of the arc. The remainder of thearc is, however, preferably provided with sharp teeth, or serrations, Ifor gripping engagement with the work.

Various uses of the wrench are illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5. InFigure 3 an article of circuar cross section is gripped between one ofthe jaws C and the links E and G. If the diameter of the circle isrelatively small (as shown) it is necessary to shift the point ofintermeshing engagement of the jaw C on the handle B to a point beyondthe arcuate portion on the handle A. Thus the point of engagementbetween the handles may be shifted in accordance with the size of thearticle to be gripped. In Figure 4 a hexagonal form is gripped betweenthe jaws C and the outer arcuate portions of the links E and G. Thedimensions of the hexagon are such that the centers 0 and C of thehandles A and B are directly opposite each other. However, in Figure 5 asmaller hexagon is gripped and the point of engagement of the jaw of thehandle B is lowered with respect to that of the handle A. Otherpolygonal and concentric and eccentric forms of various dimensions maybe gripped by suitable adjustment of the point of engagement of thehandles A and B with each other.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A wrench comprising a pair of separate handle members, each having anarcuate jaw portion at one end thereof, intermeshing teeth on saidarcuate jaw portions extending along portions of said handles, the teethof the arcuate portion of one member being engageable in variouspositions with the teeth of the other member, and. a series of pivotallyconnected links extending between and connected to said jaw membersconstituting cooperating jaws.

2. A wrench comprising a pair of separate handle members, each having anarcuate jaw portion at one end thereof, intermeshing teeth on portionsof said arcuate jaws and extending along portions of said hande, theteeth on the arcuate portion of one member being engageable in variouspositions with the teeth of the other member, a series of pivotallyconnected links extending between and connected to said jaw membersconstituting cooperating jaws, and gripping teeth on the inner faces ofall of said jaws.

JOSEPH WADE OLIVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 122,638 Neames Jan. 9, 1872696,659 Thomas Apr. 1, 1902 716,914 Mahlen Dec. 30, 1902 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber I Country Date 7,376 Great Britain Mar. 28, 1904 765,522 FranceMar. 26, 1934

